Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Kello, Capt. William O., 1848 

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                  To the Editors of the Enquirer. 
  Messrs Editors : In publishing the proceedings of the 
meeting of the citizens of Southampton county, com- 
plimenting their gallant countrymen, the name of one 
of the gentlemen, through some inadvertence, was not 
given in full.  The same is Capt. WILLIAM KELLO, 
of the 8th Infantry, whose company behaved so gal- 
lantly, and suffered so severely, in the battles of the 
8th and 9th May, 1846. 
  Capt. Kello is now lying at his mother's, suffering, as 
I am informed, in the last stage of Consumption, brought 
on by exposure while at his post in the army of his 
country.              JAMES MAGET, Chairman. 
  Southampton county, Feb. 4th, 1848. 

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Death of Captain William Overton Kello

Died, at Millfield, Southampton County, the residence of his family, on the 
27th ult., in the 38th year of his age, Captain William O. Kello of the 8th 
Regiment of Infantry, U.S.A.  The deceased was educated at West Point, and 
on leaving that celebrated institution, entered the army as a Brevet 2nd 
Lieutenant.  He continued to discharge his military duties with zeal, 
fidelity and ability, until about the commencement of the war with Mexico 
when his health, which had been gradually giving way for two or three years, 
became so seriously impaired as to disqualify him for further service.  By 
those who knew intimately the subject of this notice, no ordinary regret is 
felt for his untimely death.  The profession of arms was the one of his 
choice.  The strongest aspirations of his bosom were to distinguish himself 
in the service of his country.  A few days previous to the battle of Palo 
Alto, when General Taylor left Fort Brown for Point Isabel with the full 
expectation of meeting the enemy on his route, he arose from his sick couch 
to place himself at the head of his company - which formed part of the 
expedition - and followed the lead of his great and heroic commander in chief. 
But the laurels of war bloomed not for him.  He reached the Point too much 
exhausted for further exertion, and it was his hard fate, while thus confined 
to hear the roar of the artillery which announced that the glorious battle of 
Palo Also was being fought and won, without being able to unite with the brave 
men who were "stemming its tide."  From his period his health gradually but 
surely declined; while that seething of the mind which arises from blighted 
hopes, the destruction of long cherished aspirations, united with his physical 
sufferings, to sap the foundations of life.  Some few months since - having 
obtained leave of absence - he "came home to die"; blest at least in the 
soothing attentions of the devoted mother "that watched over his childhood" - 
of a sister and brothers affectionately attached to him, and other deeply 
interested relatives and friends.

The deceased possessed (what is usually considered no slight advantage in a 
military man) a remarkable fine person.  His deportment was dignified and 
urbane; and in the social relations of life, his qualities were such as to 
command the respect, esteem and friendly regard of all who were acquainted 
with him.  Such, in brief, was William Overton Kello.  His memory will long 
be cherished by his bereaved family and immediate friends, while many of his 
gallant associates in arms will lament his early death, and

   "Deem life only wanting to his fame."


Capt. William Overton KELLO, 8th Infantry, U.S. Army, 
veteran of the Seminole, Black Hawk & Mexican Wars, 
b. 1819, Southampton Co., d. 27 Jan 1848, at mother's home, Millfield*, 
interred in the KELLO family cemetery, Millfield Plantation*, 
"Richmond (VA) Enquirer," Vol. 44, No. 82, Feb. 11, 1848, p. 2, col. 7; 
"Richmond (VA) Whig," Feb. 15, 1848, p. 4 

*Millfield Plantation was KELLO homestead for many generations, and 
   considerable research is cited on the annotated list. 
   Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, 
   Miscellaneous Cemeteries, Vol. 1 (I-11):
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/miscvol1.txt 

West Point graduate, Class of 1832 (39th of 45).  For additional information 
   on his service, see Cullum's "Biographical Register," and the regimental 
   history of the 8th Infantry, U.S. Army. 

He and his brother Dr. Samuel B. KELLO were subjects of biographical sketches 
   in the S. Bassett French papers {Library of Virginia}. 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives 
by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/k400w1ob.txt